Vitamin D

This weekend I laced up my running shoes, belted the dogs' leashes around my waist, got Reese in the BOB and headed out on a run (it is quite a process). I have to say that running is not my favorite thing to do on the weekends. I usually like to reserve my workouts for the week, but it was so beautiful out I could not resist. With each strike on the pavement I reveled in the sun, Kenny Chesney's smooth country/island tones serenading me in the background. As I settled into my first mile I realized how much sweeter life is when the sun is shining. Everything seems to fall into place and have a brighter outlook (well quite literally actually). Suddenly everything in your life seems clear, simple and easy. I passed 2 lemonade stands and reminisced about my days as a little girl selling lemonade on the corner. Granted I didn't make much money since the neighborhood I lived in was pretty spread out, but regardless it made for good memories. My feet felt lite as I moved into my second mile. Why do I live in Seattle, I wondered? Why not Arizona where I could feel like this all the time. Then I remembered, aside from not wanting to leave my family and friends, that part of the reason that this small dose of vitamin D is so energizing is because as Seattleites we have learned to value the Vitamin D we receive. If we got it all the time, Seattle summers would not be the way they are. Where else can it be in the 60s and sunny and have over half the town outside and in the best mood ever? As I glided into mile 3 I remembered that despite how good I now felt from my short sun exposure, I was still sporting my pale Seattle skin. Maybe I will have to do a little self tanner later and at least pretend that I am still young and carefree, frequently basking in the warmth without worrying about how the sun exposure will age my skin. Ah how times change. Now I won't even venture outside on a winter day without SPF 25 on my face. I am still working on remembering to lather up the rest of my body on a regular basis, hopefully that will come. As I huff and puff into my home stretch mile 4, I wonder why I am running in the sun instead of reading a book in the backyard or doing something else a little more leisurely. Then I recall that along for my need for vitamin D, I also crave endorphins like crazy. So now that I have both checked off my list, I move onto the rest of my day, in a little better mood and with a little bit more of a positive outlook on life. Gotta love those warm Seattle days, let's hope they are not few and far between this year!